Chapter 4

Lin Yi's voice became increasingly fluent; he opened his eyes, his hazy consciousness clearing.

"…"

The entire world returned to silence, with only the faint sound of snowflakes falling on Lin Yi.

"How did you know?" Pei Yuhan's voice came from in front of him.

The gates of the Cold Jade Palace had opened once again, and the warm lights had been lit anew.

"Because I just knew." Lin Yi offered a stiff smile.

"Is this the reason you've been working so desperately these past few days? Is this why you were suddenly… disrespectful to me?" Pei Yuhan asked coldly, not minding Lin Yi's concealment.

It was nothing more than him having overheard it, or perhaps the people from the Yin Yang Pavilion had told Lin Yi; they had always been full of such twisted interests.

Lin Yi watched as the Favorability on the System interface gradually climbed.

[Pei Yuhan: 25 / 100 (Lover) → 30 / 100 (Lover)]

"No, it's because I like you, Master."

Pei Yuhan was clearly referring to the first reason he gave, but his focus was on the second.

"We are Master and disciple." Pei Yuhan's spiritual power surged, blowing the snow off Lin Yi. Her spiritual power flowed into Lin Yi's body, causing his frame to begin to warm up.

"I don't care."

"But I do."

"Then… as long as you promise me, Master, that you will never agree to those people from the Yin Yang Pavilion…"

"…"

"Right? If you did that, I would look down on you, Master. You wouldn't want the reputation of the Cold Palace Sword Sect to be ruined by you, would you? The Ancestral Master founded the Cold Palace Sword Sect… If you act like this, Master, the already declining Dao of the sword will likely become something found in common brothels."

"Placing your hope in others, and a group of villains at that—do you really think they will protect the Cold Palace Sword Sect, Master?"

"Or rather, over these past few centuries, driven by them, the Dao of the sword has already become an Evil Path. Would they abandon their plans just for a mere beauty like you, Master?"

"What did you say!?!" Pei Yuhan clearly did not know that it was precisely because of the actions of the Yin Yang Pavilion that the Dao of the sword had gradually declined.

Lin Yi revealed a weak smile.

"Master, you must promise me; you cannot agree to those people from the Yin Yang Pavilion and become their plaything."

"…"

"Master? Are you still…"

"I promise you." Pei Yuhan interrupted Lin Yi. She did not know what expression to use to face him. Her shell as a Master had already shattered after Lin Yi pointed out her transaction with the Yin Yang Pavilion.

Pei Yuhan had undoubtedly held a faint glimmer of hope regarding the Yin Yang Pavilion, but now Lin Yi said that the Yin Yang Pavilion was the driving force behind the decline of the Dao of the sword…

Lin Yi nodded gently.

Chapter 6: It's simple, I'll just reach the Return to Void Realm, won't I?

Pei Yuhan watched as the snow gradually intensified; she took a breath of icy air, feeling somewhat weary.

"Then what… should I do…"

"It's simple, I'll just reach the Return to Void Realm, won't I?" Lin Yi smiled faintly.

After saying this, he clicked the claim button without hesitation.

On the System interface that had not yet been hidden, the notification message for the task completion still remained.

["Heart of a Teacher, Dream of a Disciple" (Phase 2) completed. Rewards have been distributed; please claim them yourself.]

[Entered the "Reject Yin Yang Pavilion" option. Congratulations, Lin Yi, you have chosen the correct path. Pei Yuhan's fate has been completely changed.]

[Reward: 7th Realm of the Dao of the sword, Golden Core Early Stage cultivation (Pending Claim)]

A surge of pure spiritual power dispersed the chill from his body. In his Dantian, a small blue sphere suddenly appeared, and while absorbing the spiritual power from his entire body, it also seized the Spiritual Qi from the world!

At the same time, Lin Yi's cultivation in the 4th Realm of the Dao of the sword began to rise rapidly. Things he had not understood in the past broke through like flowing water, and his Aura shot straight into the clouds.

At this moment, Lin Yi was a sharp sword in the world.

Pei Yuhan watched blankly as Lin Yi's strength grew in a way she could not understand. She subconsciously used her spiritual power to raise a protective barrier to assist Lin Yi, preventing him from being disturbed by external objects.

The youth's handsome appearance became increasingly striking. When he restrained his Aura, he sat calmly in the wind and snow in his white robes, accompanied by the snow-colored long sword transformed from his Sword Marrow.

Lin Yi quietly caressed this long sword, looking like a sword immortal who had fallen into the mortal world.

"Master, I have already formed my Golden Core, and my Dao of the sword has reached the 7th Realm. Like this… are you satisfied?" Lin Yi smiled faintly.

"…" Although she really wanted to say it wasn't enough, at Lin Yi's age, she was likely still a few notches behind.

"For the current Cold Palace Sword Sect, it is far from enough." Pei Yuhan's tone softened, no longer as icy as before.

"Because of Master's encouragement, I suddenly had an Epiphany. If Master could encourage me a little more…" Lin Yi's words were suggestive.

A blush flashed across Pei Yuhan's face; she understood what Lin Yi meant.

"No, I cannot make any more mistakes." Pei Yuhan shook her head firmly.

"Then I'll tell the whole world that Pei Yuhan's eldest disciple wants to act inappropriately toward Pei Yuhan." Lin Yi said with a devil-may-care attitude.

"You! Rebellious Disciple!!" Pei Yuhan's willow eyebrows stood up in anger. She wanted to scold Lin Yi, but could not say any foul language, so she could only let out a cold snort.

Lin Yi watched Pei Yuhan's angry appearance with a smile.

"Master's angry appearance is also very cute."

[Pei Yuhan: 30 / 100 (Lover) → 40 / 100 (Lover)]

If Lin Yi hadn't previously demonstrated this Golden Core and 7th Realm sword cultivation strength, he would probably have been given a lesson by Pei Yuhan by now.

But now that he had demonstrated his unprecedented value—revitalizing the Dao of the sword—Pei Yuhan was much more tolerant of him.

"Only that, no!" Pei Yuhan's tone softened.

"The Yin Yang Pavilion." Lin Yi stood up and took hold of Pei Yuhan's small hand.

Pei Yuhan subconsciously flicked her hand away, but did not use the power belonging to a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator, so she did not shake him off.

"Don't bring that up every single day…" Pei Yuhan was now unwilling to even mention the Yin Yang Pavilion.

"Then… Pei Yuhan's eldest disciple wants to act inappropriately toward Pei Yuhan."

"Do you really not care about your reputation!?!"

"I don't care. Why would I care about that?"

"…" But I do!

"Hehe, Yuhan, give me some time, and I guarantee I will catch up to your cultivation. You've seen it, I've hidden my cultivation. At this rate, and with your encouragement, Yuhan, I am certain I can step into the Return to Void Realm."

Lin Yi held Pei Yuhan's small hand while walking into the Cold Jade Palace.

As the palace gates closed, the entire Cold Jade Palace brightened up.

"By then, just like the Ancestral Master, revitalizing the Dao of the sword won't be easy as pie?" Lin Yi's promise made Pei Yuhan's eyes begin to flicker.

She knew she had no chance of stepping into the Return to Void Realm herself, from Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, all the way to her current Soul Transformation.

She had remained at the Late Stage of the Soul Transformation for several hundred years without the slightest inch of progress.

Her Aptitude had probably reached its limit, but Lin Yi was different. This slight difference meant he was very likely to enter the Return to Void Realm. Even if he couldn't, a powerful Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator could make the current Cold Palace Sword Sect much better.

By then… she and he wouldn't be considered mismatched.

As for the tongues of the people in the world… anyway, they didn't know the specific situation of the Cold Palace Sword Sect. She would have Lin Yi take Ye Linyuan as his Master later, making him her Junior Brother.

It would be normal for a Senior Sister and Junior Brother to be together.

As for the lifespan issue, there was no need to worry about that. A Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator had tens of thousands of years of Life. The few hundred years between them would be but a short distance after ten thousand years.

Lin Yi saw Pei Yuhan's attitude beginning to soften, and he smilingly pulled Pei Yuhan to sit on the soft couch.

"Yuhan, let me help you massage your shoulders…"

This was an excuse that both of them knew well.

Pei Yuhan was silent for a moment, neither agreeing nor refusing.

Lin Yi understood, helped Pei Yuhan sit on the bed, and casually untied the bed curtains to the side.

Lin Yi gently placed his hands on Pei Yuhan's shoulders, and Pei Yuhan trembled all over as if reacting to a stimulus.

Pei Yuhan lowered her gaze. The light shone through the gaps in the curtains, leaving her face in shadow, making it impossible for one to see her expression.

Lin Yi's hands rested on Pei Yuhan's collar, beginning to be understanding…

"Yuhan, you smell so good…"

"Don't say such shameful things…"

Pei Yuhan let Lin Yi undo her robe. Beneath her inner garment, her plump… floated up in a provocative curve. She gently exhaled a slightly hot breath.

Because of the winter night, her breath carried a faint mist, and her face was flushed with color; she dared not turn around.

"Mmm…"

Lin Yi turned his head and captured her lips amidst Pei Yuhan's startled, doe-like gaze…

Pei Yuhan felt that her body no longer belonged to her. She could not use a single bit of her Soul Transformation Stage cultivation. A faint affection mixed with an indescribable liking made her unable to refuse Lin Yi's actions.

Among this, of course, was the reason of the potential Lin Yi had demonstrated, but…

Pei Yuhan, oh Pei Yuhan, you have actually fallen for him!

Pei Yuhan hugged Lin Yi, staring blankly at the patterns on the top of the bed canopy. The faint light made her dizzy.

"Mmm…" She saw blood-red color suffusing the light. She knew this was her hallucination. She let out a soft hum, not loud, but enough to echo in the cold Cold Jade Palace.

Lin Yi affectionately stroked Pei Yuhan's head. "Yuhan… from now on, you have me… you don't need to be so exhausted anymore…"

Pei Yuhan responded softly, but immediately, she opened her eyes.

"You're still not done!?!"

"Sorry…" Lin Yi felt a bit embarrassed.

[Now initiating "Heart of a Teacher, Dream of a Disciple" (Phase 3).]

Chapter 7: Holy crap, that's intense!

[Has Pei Yuhan's fate truly been changed? Has the threat of the Yin Yang Pavilion truly been removed? Lin Yi, you should know that the real threat is not the Yin Yang Pavilion, not the Pavilion Master of the Yin Yang Pavilion, Ji Yitian, and even less the gossip of the world that is hard to block.]

[The real threat is the Floating Island that looms over the entire Qiongming Domain, the Head of the God King Palace within the Floating Island, and that powerful Return to Void Realm Cultivator, Yin Yang.]

Lin Yi held Pei Yuhan's smooth, delicate body. She had already fallen into a deep sleep, sleeping very quietly, her exquisite face still bearing a drop or two of un-wiped tears.

The subtitles before Lin Yi's eyes were still scrolling.

[Fortunately, his goal has always been that Ancestral Master of the Dao of the sword, Ye Linyuan; Pei Yuhan and even the entire Cold Palace Sword Sect are just a small chess piece he has played.]

[If he succeeds, that's fine; if he doesn't, it doesn't matter. He has plenty of time, he has plenty of means…]

The confrontation between Ye Linyuan and Yin Yang is the main storyline of the entire Qiongming Domain. Hundreds of years ago, Ye Linyuan and Yin Yang were brothers who talked about everything. The two ascended to the Return to Void Realm together. At that moment, Ye Linyuan was in high spirits; even though he was Cultivating the Sword of Heartlessness, he could not sever all his emotions.

It's just that… Yin Yang, who had always lived in Ye Linyuan's shadow, held some resentment toward this brother who surpassed him.

Yin Yang fought Ye Linyuan seventy times, and every time he was defeated by Ye Linyuan.

How he longed to win against Ye Linyuan just once.

The opportunity soon arrived. He obtained a Dao sword named Three-Foot Sword, which no one could subdue. He gifted the Three-Foot Sword to Ye Linyuan, planning to lay out a scheme before his seclusion ended, intending to disturb his Dao Heart after he failed.

He did not believe that Ye Linyuan could comprehend the Dao Charm within the Three-Foot Sword, and he did not believe that he could take the final step that no one had taken for thousands of years: Dao Integration.

Soul Transformation, Return to Void, Dao Integration…

Ye Linyuan was already at the 12th Level of the Return to Void Realm. He had spent hundreds of years in this Realm. Although he knew this was Yin Yang's conspiracy, the desire for the Great Dao made him accept this challenge without hesitation.

Thus, a conspiracy targeting Ye Linyuan began to unfold throughout the entire Qiongming Domain.

[Ye Linyuan has not yet emerged into the world, and the Sword Spirit he severed, Lin Xuanyan, has not yet left Chaoduan Peak. This is your good fortune—many tragedies have not yet occurred. This is your misfortune—you cannot use Ye Linyuan's hand to kill Yin Yang.]

[Pei Yuhan's tragedy has been completely changed, but things are far from over. The Yin Yang Pavilion can no longer threaten you, but the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head has become even larger.]